John Kinder the Watercolour Artist

John Kinder was an avid watercolour artist

John Kinder, best known for his photography and watercolours of New Zealand landscape, came to New Zealand selected by Bishop GA Selwyn as Headmaster of the Church of England Grammar School in Parnell, Auckland.

We hold five of Kinder’s watercolours: four of St John’s College, and the fifth one of Ruapehu and Tongariro.  We also have two rather lovely pen and ink sketches done on ordinary letter writing blue/grey paper.

The one illustrated here is titled ‘Auckland from the Karangahape Road.  May 1856’.  This is the home that John Kinder first lived in, in Karangahape Road, Auckland on his arrival in New Zealand in the spring of 1855, and where the first classes for the Church of England Grammar School were held.

By 1857, Kinder had married Celia Brown (daughter of Archdeacon Brown of Tauranga) and moved to the newly completed headmaster’s residence at no. 2 Ayr Street.

St Keven’s, originally known as ‘Mr. Keven’s’ was named after Mr. Thomas Keven, a bootmaker, and later became known as ‘St Keven’s’.  Today, the St Kevin’s Arcade in Karangahape Road Auckland is on the same site.